


red maple leaf

by thesmollleo



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - War, F/F, Lowkey a The Little Prince au, Squint for Park Jihyo, a bit of blood here and there, because Red, er Descendants of The Sun?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:21:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23909875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesmollleo/pseuds/thesmollleo
Summary: mina in her mind was always the vivid scarlet colour.ora story of the little princess and her rose.
Relationships: Minatozaki Sana/Myoui Mina
Comments: 9
Kudos: 46
Collections: ~Darling and Honey~ A Misana Collection





	red maple leaf

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you enjoy! :D

when maple leaves were tinted like blood, autumn came.

everything was red. a bright, soothing red. it was sunrise after all. the big red sun was slowly rising up the hill, and the sky had a faint pink on its cheeks. cute, sana thought, while strolling mindlessly through the forest she had known by heart, how even after billions of years together, the great sky still blushed with just a small morning kiss from its lover. she wondered if that was how true love was supposed to be. that the love got deeper and deeper every moment passed, no matter how long it had been, no matter what happened. 

“oh my god are you okay? do you need help?”

that was when sana saw her, stuck in between branches, struggling to find a way out. she jolted and immediately looked up, her suspicious gaze softened when she met sana’s eyes. she quickly turned away, murmured a quiet “please”. there was a hint of despair and reluctance in her tone, or so it seemed. sana brushed it away. right now her condition is more urgent.

“your leg is bleeding. i don’t have anything on me now, but if you don’t mind walking to my house, i can help you bandage your wound. it’s really close to here.”

“thank you,” she said, hesitantly, “please lead the way.”

“i’m sana by the way. what’s your name?”

“mina.”

“thank you so much. i don’t know how i can even repay you,” mina said while drinking the cup of tea sana offered, after sana was done treating her wound.

“it was nothing,” sana waved off her hand, “but can i ask you something? you are not from here aren’t you? i don’t think i’ve ever seen you around, and i know everyone here.”

“you’re right. today is my first day here. i’m on a vacation.”

“it’s too bad that you got injured right on your first day.”

“it’s just a small cut. in fact, i thought i was lucky, because otherwise i wouldn’t have met you,” realizing what she just said, mina’s face heated up. pretending as if nothing had happened, she switched to another topic, “are you by any chance a doctor or such? i know it’s not a big deal but you looked really familiar with the bandage earlier.”

“keen eyes,” sana complimented, her cheeks were still flushed, “yes, you can say i’m a doctor, though i’m pretty jobless most of the time, because the main income here comes from apple. you know the saying, ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’. but to say the truth, this tiny village is barely visible on the map. after a week here, you will probably know everyone’s names and who their mother’s cousin’s best friends are. i’m actually quite surprised that you even know about its existence, let alone coming here for a vacation. but enough about me. what about you? what do you do?”

“oh me?” mina was startled, her eyes wandered, but after a brief second of hesitation, she answered, “just here and there. i usually do what people ask me to, you know, all sorts of things.”

“like a gopher?” sana kept a skeptical look to herself. she was curious, but she knew it was better not to ask, “so how long do you plan to stay here? i can show you around! trust me i know every hidden corner in this village.”

“about a month? thank you for the offer but i don’t want to trouble you more. i can discover the village alone-”

“no objection here. i’m jobless anyway so i’d better make myself useful by being your tour guide.”

true to her words, sana literally knew every person there like the back of her hand. whenever they passed by someone, sana always greeted them happily. and if they were close to her, she would point to mina, saying she was her guest and ask them to treat her well. in response was mina’s shy smile. the adults would nod their heads, the children would enthusiastically ask them to come visit with their “gang” someday, to which they heartily agreed, but the elders were... interesting, to say the least.

some of them gave sana and mina a welcoming apple, some complimented mina’s beauty, and one even asked mina to stay permanently, because “folks in here are either too young or too old. all the other kids, the moment they turned eighteen, they left. thankfully we still have sana here, right sana?”

mina left out the rest of the conversation. her mind was busy thinking about the old man’s words. they all left. she wondered... 

not until sana sent her back to her guest house did she get out of her own world. it was already night, mina realized. a supposedly two-hour tour had turned into an all-day one, but she would never complain. sana’s bright energy kept drawing her in like a magnet.

the next morning, mina opened the door to a grinning sana. 

“go jogging with me?”

much to sana’s surprise, mina was an excellent athlete. she easily surpassed sana in their little race. and while sana was trying to ease out her heavy breaths, mina simply stood there with a smug smirk on her face. sana pouted. mina’s smirk turned into a big laugh. 

smiling, sana let herself fall onto the grass, arms spread out, as if she was trying to imitate the angel she was looking at. a fallen one. sana’s eyes traced along her physique. appreciated it. hair like fine wine. dedicated curves. shining eyes. pretty lips blooming into the brightest gummy smile. mina was glowing, under the faint red sunlight that was shone through layers and layers of maple leaves.

sana felt like burning, overwhelmed with all the different shades of red in front of her eyes.

she is the most beautiful rose.

“have my fragrance and radiance been casted over you, little princess?” mina tried to boldly winked, but she couldn’t hide her blush.

sana jolted. she wasn’t supposed to say it out loud, sana cursed under her breath. flushing, her words stumbled out:

“yes. so you ought never to have run away from me.”

“i’m pretty sure that’s not how the saying goes,” mina laughed, echoing like bells, and sana chuckled along with her. “sure, i will never leave you. promise.”

“but just to be cleared i don’t have the power to kill caterpillars for you. they’re scary.”

“the little one sitting comfortably on your shoulder will disagree.”

“MINA! DON’T SCARE ME LIKE THAT.” sana yelped, frantically brushing her shoulders until she realized it was just a prank. she threw fake punches at a giggling mina, and soon after joined her also.

their laughter rang through the silent forest.

a month passed by in the blink of an eye. they spent every second with each other.

at some point near the end of mina’s first week, she successfully stole the hearts of everyone in the village, children included. in fact, mina was referred to as their master for her ridiculously winning streak in games. sana raised up both of her arms, then, exclaiming, “you, are unique in all the world. i refuse to believe you didn’t cheat.” sana had to treat mina her favourite dish to make it up.

at some point during mina’s second week, she moved into sana’s house. for economical reasons, obviously.

at some point during mina’s third week, they started to share the same bed. because one dinner sana flinched so hard when a lightning struck across the sky, mina brought her to bed and held her tight the whole night. after that, without anyone saying anything, they crawled in bed with each other. the remedy for insomnia was found.

at some point during mina’s fourth week, she witnessed sana treating a patient for the first time. unlike the usual loud and energetic sana, doctor sana was quiet and gentle. sana spent a good amount of time carefully explaining again and again to the patient until there were no questions left. that answered why everyone adored and trusted sana so much. and mina too, mina also found herself developing some not yet to be named feelings in her chest. which, she shouldn’t.

everything that started, would come to an end. even fairy tales.

it was time for mina to leave. 

“sana, thank you. i don’t think i ever say thank you enough. a month with you is worth more than all the years i had combined,” mina’s smile was soft, with a hint of melancholy and something else that sana could not quite put a finger on.

“i’m glad. everyone is going to miss you a lot. especially me. you’ve brought us so much joy. mina, i,” mina tilted her head, she was curious. but sana just shook her head, and settled for a tight hug instead, “nevermind. safe trip.”

“don’t be sad, princess,” mina murmured, to sana, and to herself, “i’ll come back, next year, for i ought never to have run away from you.”

“until next time, my rose.”

.

when maple leaves were tinted like blood, she came.

one early morning, sana opened her door like usual, ready for her daily jog, only to be greeted with a smiley mina. 

“hey,” mina greeted.

automatically, sana pulled her into a tight hug. mina stiffened for a second, and then melted into her arms. she had missed this. the opportunity to sink in mina’s embrace, feel her softness, take in her warmth, and breath in her scent. 

i miss you. sana wanted to say. it felt like a million years without you here.

instead, she said: “you look great. feel great i mean. fitter. what did you do for the past year?”

a beat later, mina playfully answered: “i’ve been running a lot, need to secure my champion title.” 

“i’ve been running a lot too. wanna race?”

“mina, you’re back! what brings you here, pretty ladies?” greeting them was an old woman that sana, and by extend mina, were really close to. she was the owner of the only restaurant here. 

“good morning granny park. we’re here for your pies,” mina smiled, “i craved them so much when i was away, so sana and i rushed to your place the moment i could.”

“and here i thought you were here because you missed this old woman,” granny park faked a disappointed sigh, “but i guess it’s fair. even i would prefer the pie’s visual than my face. by the way, mina, did you know last year after you left, this kid was miserable for days. it was funny. no one could believe there would be a time when the great doctor sana turned into a kicked puppy. life is indeed astonishing.”

“granny!” sana whined.

“see? she didn’t even deny that,” she laughed, and a beat later put on a serious face, “mina, you are really special to sana. i have known this kid for years, ever since she moved here, and i’ve never seen her with so much joy like when she is with you. please look after her, mina. i may be old, but i believe my judgement is still sharp as new.”

“granny, i’m an adult. i can take care myself! i even take care everyone in case you forgot. just because you rarely come to my place doesn’t mean i stop being a doctor.”

“quiet, sana. you know that’s not what i’m talking about. and besides, doctors are bad at diagnosing themselves,” granny park waved her hand, then went back to mina, “mina, if you have time, please take this kid out to the outside world. she hasn’t stepped foot outside of this village for so long that i’m afraid she starts to think the Earth is only this large.”

“why would i?” mina heard sana sulkily mumbling, so silent that mina thought she was eavesdropping, “the world out there is cruel.”

“don’t worry, granny park,” mina smiled, pleasing, “i’ll take care of her.”

“that’s my girl. now which pie do you want?”

mina laid on sana’s bed, her eyes wide open. sana was sleeping soundly beside her. after their conversation with granny park, mina realized that there was so much about sana that she didn’t know of. but who was she to feel uneasy about it? she and sana were just friends, if half a month of staying under the same roof and not having any contact with the other for nearly a year after that could be considered a friendship. 

on top of all, sana even knew less about her. with her clumsy lying skill, mina knew sana didn’t trust one bit that she was a gopher. but sana, goodness sana stayed silent, and mina, sinner mina, stayed silent also. she should have told sana about herself a year ago, but she hadn’t. 

when they first met, mina kept her identity a secret because under current circumstances, and considering the fact that sana was a stranger, disclosing it was a dangerous move. however even after mina knew sana was nothing but an angel, and their bond became much more intimate, mina still kept her secret. as if she didn’t trust sana at all.

mina suddenly felt as if something was blocking her throat, because of guilt or because of something else, she wasn’t sure. she needed to cough it out. she would tell sana everything about herself tomorrow.

“doctor, please save my baby.”

“doctor...doctor...”

“my baby. doctor!”

“sana… sana… SANA!”

sana jolted awake. her eyes widely opened. a layer of sweat covered her forehead. she laid one hand on her rapidly beating heart, trying to calm it down. she breathed heavily.

when she turned to her side, her eyes met mina’s concerned gaze. sana knew mina was woken up by her, and mina was the one waking her up, but mina remained silent still, and sana was so grateful for that.

when sana finally calmed down, her face was leaning on mina’s shoulder, and mina hand was caressing her back. she broke into a sob, holding mina tighter. 

“i had a nightmare,” she quietly said, trembling. sana never thought she would ever be ready to talk about it, even now, but mina deserved to know, and a tiny part of her wanted to share it with her, “not quite like a dream, it’s more like a memory. a haunting one.”

.

blood, sana closed her eyes, recalling the horrid memory that was still imprinted in her head, a lot of blood.

that was the first thing sana saw when a woman holding something like a bundle of dirty towels rushed into her station. her body was covered in blood. open wounds ran across her face, her arms and legs. some were new, some were old. sana could see they hadn’t been treated and started to have infection. mixed between her wounds were dirt, dust, gunpowder and traces of gases from fire.

sana was trying to have a clearer look of the woman’s face when she realized that the “dirty bundle” the woman was holding was a child. a newborn baby, no more than three months old. 

before sana had enough time to do anything, the pitiful mom suddenly collapsed. immediately, sana rushed to her side, but she only made it in time to hear the woman desperately grabbing her hand, begging her to save her child, before exhaling her last breath. 

“doctor, please save my baby.” 

carefully, sana lifted up the child from the mother’s already stiffened embrace. the child was quiet, sana knitted her eyebrows, concerning, and their breathing was very weak. the baby was not wounded, but they, too, were covered with dirt and traces of gases from fire.

they were suffocated, were probably trapped in a fire for so long.

in the next couple hours, sana tried her best to save the baby. but in the end, death won. sana had faced death before, but this was the first time she felt such devastation. she failed to save the child of a deceased mother whom she also failed to save. all happened in a span of a couple hours. the pain and guilt was unbearable. it was her fault.

she needed to apologize to their souls, so that hopefully her soul could be at peace. but she didn’t even know who they were. and that was when it hit her: they were not soldiers. the mother and child were supposedly her enemies. and on top of all, they were civilians. innocent and powerless civilians.

they were probably attacked by the soldiers, her people. 

in horror, sana secretly buried them and using her days off, she sneaked out to find their relatives.

using the half burnt identity document she found in the mother’s pocket, sana managed to find out their village. however when she arrived, the only images she saw were bodies and burning houses. 

everything was red. a destructive, dark red. 

sana saw the well-armed troops attacking villagers, who were blindly fighting back with whatever they had in hands. guns, sticks, axes, swords. anything.

she saw everything being set on fire. people fighting in despair. people dying. 

that was the first time sana actually witnessed a war scene, or rather, a crime scene. the screams. the noises of collapsion. the sounds of gunshots. 

who were dying, who were winning, it didn’t matter. what mattered was the fact that people were out there vigorously, hopelessly killing and being killed.

the sudden realization of the cruel essence of a war slapped her in the face. it was all too much to handle. sana felt like she was strangled.

sana became a doctor to save lives, but with the job she was having now, no matter how many lives she did save, they could never make up for the number of lives she indirectly, cooperatively took away. 

she had to leave. she had to get out of here.

and so, she did. she quitted the moment she could, and ran away to a tiny village far, far away, so small and so distant that it was barely visible on the map, hoping that one day she could find the serenity in her heart she had lost. 

.

“but it never comes,” sana wryly chuckled, “many nights i woke up with the mother’s desperate voice echoing in my head, and the sight of her burning village. the worst part is, i don’t even know their names or their faces. the only memory i have is the sounds. if i did know their faces, would it be easier?”

mina stayed quiet. she hugged sana a bit tighter that night. her hand caressed sana’s back. she hummed a random melody on the top of her head, until sana’s breaths got slower and even out. 

mina couldn’t sleep. her mind kept repeating sana’s question over and over again. she thought about all the people who had left, and realized that she remembered each of their faces, whether they were angry or sad, desperate or peaceful. mina remembered all of that, and yet she didn’t know the stories behind it. her memory was deadly quiet.

unlike sana’s, mina’s nightmares were often silent. rather, they were graphics, with lots of jumbled faces and scenes ran across her eyes. would it be better…

no. there would never be an easier option. they were all hard to bear. death was always hard to bear. 

the next morning, sana woke up with a headache, mina’s arm thrown haphazardly on top of her, and a moist shoulder. she grumbled, remembering what happened last night. sana was trying to lift mina’s arm off her body and sneaked out as carefully as possible, when she noticed traces of tears on mina’s face. sana heard her heart shatter. gently, sana wiped away her tears, laid back down and closed her eyes. she would ask mina later when she woke up. 

mornings were always quiet. they were sitting in the kitchen, enjoying the peacefulness of each other’s companion. mina was the first one to disturb it.

“sana,” mina started, fidgeting, trying to organize the thought in her head. opposite her, sana’s eyes opened, waiting, “have you ever thought about visiting them?”

“you mean…?” sana didn’t know who she was referring to, at first, but when she looked into mina nervous eyes, she saw the answer. of course. they never really talked about her nightmare after all. she figured this day would come sooner or later, because after that night mina was gentler to her, more affectionate to her. she would sometimes squeeze her hand, or give her a random hug. she treated sana with the utmost care. and yet, her intuition told her that mina had something stuck in her throat that she wanted to say but couldn’t, that “careful” was just a synonym of “cautious”. mina had been a mystery since the start. sana was curious, and at the same time frightened to find out. 

“no,” sana shook her head, “i’m too much of a coward to see them again. i’m not ready, mina. i don’t think i’ll ever be ready.”

“you still feel guilty, right?” mina carefully said, observing sana’s expression, “it’s okay, because i know your heart is warm. but sana, everything that happened was not your fault. they wouldn’t blame you for anything. and i don’t think they would want their savior to blame herself for the rest of her life.”

“i couldn’t save them, mina.” sana said, there were tears in her eyes, “but i saved their murderers.”

“just because you couldn’t save them doesn’t make you less of a savior,” mina’s arms wrapped around sana, “it doesn’t matter whether you succeed or fail, whether you save the protagonist or the villain. a life is a life. you wouldn’t ignore a dying person just because they have sins, would you? it is unfair, indeed, but that’s just how life is. you did your best, sana.”

“thank you, mina,” sana murmured, “though my heart is still heavy, i think i feel a bit better. the guilt is still there, but i try working on it, little by little.”

“i’m glad,” mina smiled. she had one thing left to say, and she would be free.

“but i won’t go back there, mina. back to my original job. back to the army. i cannot bring myself to do that when i know what they are doing is wrong. the war going on is just a brutal tool to satisfy their greed. i despise that. even the sight of a soldier makes me feel sick, though i know they only follow their orders.”

i understand your feelings, sana, because i’m also in the army. the words mina was going to say died out on the tip of her tongue. her smile suddenly became forced. 

she supposed she would never be free.

time passed by in a blur. it was both heaven and hell for mina. staying by sana’s side, she was the happiest woman on Earth and the most miserable woman in the world. the secret was eating her out. but she could not bring herself to tell sana that, not when the brutal war sana had talked about had her fingerprints on it, not when she had witnessed firsthand how much sana abhorred it.

and then, it snowed. when maple leaves were still a brilliant red.

it was mina’s last week there. they were sitting side by side, backs leaning on a tree, waiting for the sun to go down, when a snowflake fell on the tip of sana’s nose.

“no way!” sana exclaimed, “it’s snowing! but it’s still fall! what are the odds, right? mina this is so cool. or cold i mean.”

“i suppose it’s a good thing,” mina laughed at an overly energetic sana, “can’t believe i can have the first snowfall with you.”

“do you know the myth that if you are with someone you love during the first snow, you two will stay together forever?”

“last year was our deal, this year is the first snow. the universe is really telling us that we’re stuck to each other. we are indeed meant to be, don’t you think?” mina giggled, half joking half serious.

“mina, i,” sana suddenly looked straight into her eyes, her voice was sincere, “i really want to have a forever with you. i like you, a lot.”

“i like you too,” mina smiled sweetly, “has been for a while.”

“can i kiss you?” sana whispered. and with mina’s shy nod as a cue, their lips found each other.

her lips were cold they made her burn, soft like petals, sweet like apples.

somewhere from afar, the sun blushed so hard it turned scarlet, hurriedly hid behind the mountain’s back, dared not witness the romantic scene in front of its eyes. and with a cheshire grin, the moon rose up, replacing the flustered sun.

every morning of that week, mina was woken up by sana’s kisses. they jogged together, watched the sunrise together, and made breakfast together.

noon, they went to help granny park in her restaurant, occasionally stole her food only to be scolded at. 

evening, they read for each other, and they danced, and they talked about everything and nothing at all.

night, passion and romance and love reached their peak. when the two bodies melted into each other, they became one. unified. the soft murmur “i love you” sewed their souls.

the first snow came and left at the most unexpected moment. when it came, it brought all the happiness in the world. and when it left, it took every trace of warmth away.

the first snow left when mina told sana that she was a captain. captain myoui. 

it was a pang in sana’s chest. she felt like she couldn’t breathe. 

“why didn’t you say anything? why did you keep it a secret?” sana asked, her voice broken. her eyes filled with agony and disappointment, she was too exhausted to hide.

“i didn’t mean to,” after a painful long second, mina quietly said, head low, “at first it was because we were strangers, but then i never found the right timing to say. when i finally mustered up my courage, you told me you despised the army. how could i bring myself to tell the one i loved the most that i was who she hated the most?”

“i would never hate you for your job, mina. i too, was enlisted. do you really think i am that kind of person? do you really think my love for you is less than my grudge? i love you more than anything, mina. but you, you don’t even trust me. you don’t trust our love. mina do you even love me, or is that just a pitiful word?” sana was on fire, her eyes shone with pain.

mina didn’t know what to say. she lowered her head:

“i’m a coward. i was scared. i’m sorry. i am sorry for the rest of my life.”

“leave,” sana choked, “leave mina, leave. please. i need you to leave, and never come back.”

“is this the end of us?” mina asked, trembling. the thing she feared the most had come. please say no. 

“yes,” sana answered, languidly, “i love you, more than anything. and i still do. but loving you now torments me so much it feels like dying.”

mina closed her eyes. this is what i deserve, she thought. her heart hurted. tears welled up her eyes, and then were released like a broken damp. throughout her career, mina had had countless injuries, but nothing could compare to this moment. the pain was insufferable. 

“sana, of all the things i have, of all the things i am, my love for you is the only constant. that, i know by heart,” mina whispered, her voice was shaky, “please know that.”

and then, she was gone. unexpected, like the first snow. and took every trace of warmth away.

good bye, my rose.

the winter following was long and dreadful. 

mina went back to her base, only to hear that she was once again deployed overseas, to the ongoing war. mina laughed bitterly. did they think a month was enough to recover? and even when mina’s physical condition was back to its original state, it was empty. mina felt like she was no more than a machine that did what it was told to. 

attack this land! bomb that city! fire! do not let anyone escape!

a brutal tool. murderer. 

mina felt sick. she had never felt good after her duty, but now, she was disgusted with herself. the pride of being able to serve her people was long gone, because taking over another country was not the right way to serve her own. 

we were running out of resources, they said, if you didn’t want to starve to death, pick up your guns.

looking back, mina laughed at herself for not realizing that implication. she was overwhelmed with the fancy terms they used, civilization, expansion, unification. 

how naive she was.

during times like this, she kept thinking about sana, as though sana wasn’t on her mind every second.

she missed the quiet mornings, the fresh air, the lively colours of nature, when red was the colour of maple leaves and apple, not blood. she missed the kind people there, who would coo at her shyness, not mocking. and she missed sana. beautiful, gentle sana. her princess. mina smiled at that nickname, and sadly wondered if she was still sana’s rose, or was she just a mere wild rose in a massive garden that sana happened to pass by. 

night, when solitude was at its finest, she missed sana most. without sana’s secure arms, her nightmares started to creep in again. if she was lucky, she would be woken up by sana’s voice rang through her head. other times, she would wake up all sweaty and trembling. but the reality was still the same in every scenario - she woke up to an empty bed. 

it was summer when mina found a chance to leave. the war was still going on with no sign of ending, but her deployment was finally over. maybe it was because she had once or twice received a threat for “accidentally” questioning the actual purpose of the war.

she planned a way out. it was simple. she asked her closest colleague to help her set up a scene - fake her death, an accident during a night training, so that it seemed like captain myoui had fallen off a cliff, her body was nowhere to be seen. by the time everyone was informed about it, she had long gone. 

but her colleague had a slightly different plan. captain myoui would actually fall off the cliff.

mina was pushed. she fell on top of a tree, its branch stabbed her. in pain, she tried to hold onto it and find a way down. but the tree was weak, so it snapped into half, and mina fell again. this time, she landed on the ground. the ground was tilted, so she kept rolling down, until her body was full of cuts and scratches. her body screamed in pain, but she didn’t have the energy to let out a sound. she felt cold and wet. mina’s eyes got heavy.

she laid there, covered in dirt, fingers tapping lightly to the rhythm of a french song. her mind had gone back to a late evening, when sana’s house was drowned in the vivid light of the sunset. standing in the middle were sana and her, happy and madly in love, trapped in each other’s eyes, dancing to the music. in between their giggle, she heard the song. it sounded so close yet so far, far away.

...if one day life tears you away from me  
if you die than you will be far from me  
nothing matters if you love me  
because I will die too…

.

sana was miserable after mina had gone. she shut everyone out, even granny park. but that old woman was relentless, she would bring food to her place everyday to make sure sana wouldn’t starve to death. though, she didn’t say anything, just knocked the door to inform sana and then left.

one day, the knocking was urgent. granny park was banging on the door, shouting for sana.

a kid was sick. the moment the door creak opened, she yelled, heavily breathing. he needed the doctor.

immediately, sana rushed to him. she cursed. she had dwelled so much on her misery that she forgot the world outside was still moving. she forgot she had a job, and lives to save. if anything happened, sana closed her eyes, then opened. her eyes were on fire. no, nothing could happen. she was here to prevent it.

the child was cured after a few days.

that day, granny park held a crying sana all night. 

little by little, sana learned to appreciate life, learned to forgive and love herself. she thought about mina’s words, that unfortunate events that happened were not her fault. because she had given her all. 

the night she looked at the stars and whispered, i’m sorry i couldn’t save you, but i hope you are at a better place now. please watch over me, was the first night she slept with a mind free of thoughts. the mother still came in her dream and grabbed her hand, but this time squeezed it, then let go. thank you. those were her actual last words.

sana thought she finally found peace in her heart. but something kept missing. 

one night, after helping granny park closing the restaurant, sana said:

“i never had a chance to thank you properly, granny park. thank you for being patient with me, and not giving up on me,” granny park hummed in acknowledgement, waiting, “but why, granny?”

“because you are my kid, of course i care for you,” granny park said in a matter-of-fact tone, “and truthfully speaking, if i want to live, i have to make sure the doctor lives.”

sana faked a whining complaint.

besides, the other kid asked me to take care of you, granny park mumbled.

“pardon?”

“i said,” she sighed, better just let it all out, “mina asked me to take care of you when she was gone. something about she was responsible for you, but she couldn’t while she was away, so she asked me.”

“you become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. you are responsible for your rose, and i am responsible for you, princess.”

a tear rolled down her cheeks. she knew what was missing.

time was tickling.

.

when maple leaves were tinted with blood, she came.

“mina”

“mina”

“mina, can you hear me?”

mina opened her eyes.

“sana,” she whispered, tears welled up, “you’re here. i’m not dead, am i?”

“of course you’re not,” sana smiled softly, “i wouldn’t let you.”

“where am i, sana?”

“in a farmer’s house. he’s really kind. don’t worry no one knows you’re here.”

“what are you doing here, sana? i thought…” mina asked, she didn’t want to give herself false hope, but she couldn’t help it.

“i thought so too,” sana quietly answered, “are you feeling alright now? ready to hear my story?”

and so she told her, from the start to the end. she felt light, was finally able to pour everything out.

“then i went to your base, only to be informed that captain myoui had passed away while training. i was a broken faucet,” sana chuckled, but mina could tell she was still horrified, “i didn’t know what to do, so i wandered around the neighbourhood nearby, bumped into a kid with a dislocated leg, treated her. her family offered to let me stay with them, so i stayed. the next day, i found you unconscious in a pool of blood, then took you here. that was two days ago. any questions?”

sana kept it brief. she didn't dare to recall the scene. mina in her mind was always the vivid scarlet colour, not the cold and lifeless shade of blood. she let out a shaky breath. 

“no, sana.”

“good,” sana exhaled in relief, “but why do you keep adding my name in your sentences? that’s like the fourth time already.”

“it’s nothing,” mina touched her lips, “i just miss being able to say your name out loud. sana, do you want to hear my story?”

later, mina told her: 

“i’m sorry. i was a coward. i should have stayed and fought for us, not leaving like that. i promised you to never run away, but i can’t keep it.”

“you come back anyway. that’s all that matters.” sana’s arms wrapped around her, “and i’m sorry too, for pushing you away. i should have trusted you, and trusted our love.”

“truce?”

“truce.”

“i still want a forever with you, princess, if the offer still stands.”

“i wouldn’t dream of anything else. let’s go back, my rose, our planet has missed you.”

.

the radio was on.

“...this morning, at nine o’clock, the war was declared to have ended. official statements from…”

but no one paid attention to it. 

a song started to play, drowning out the news reporter's voice. 

...the blue sky can collapse on itself  
and the earth can cave in...

“hey, dance with me,” she pulled her out to the middle of the room.

“i was waiting for you to ask,” she giggled heartily, swaying along with the music.

hand hold hand. their bodies found each other. 

she pulled her closer, until the tip of their noses touched. they found themselves trapped in the little universe of the other’s eyes. the world turned silent.

they broke into a breathy laugh, and, as if they had practiced this line millions of times together before, simultaneously whispered: 

“i love you.”

...little matters, if you love me  
i don't care about the whole world...

the song went on.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading :D 
> 
> i choose not to capitalize any word because this is just a little story about two ordinary human beings named sana and mina. they couldn't stop the war nor did they make a major change to the world. however on their little "planet", they were significant. and i think that was enough.
> 
> "The Little Prince" tag is a clickbait, but i hope you can spot pieces of it here and there :D the song mentioned is Hymne à l'amour by Édith Piaf.


End file.
